Indonesia – Lombok Earthquake August 2018
On August 5, 2018, a destructive earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 struck the island of Lombok, Indonesia. The fault rupture spread to the north and reached the sea, which caused a tsunami. Severe shaking was reported throughout the entire island, and widespread damage was reported in Lombok and in Bali. Officials reported that over 80 percent of structures in North Lombok were either damaged or destroyed. According to reports, during the aftermath of the sequence of earthquakes in August, a total of 563 people were confirmed killed while more than 1,000 were confirmed injured. More than 417,000 people were displaced. This earthquake was the strongest and largest to have ever hit the island of Lombok in recorded history.
This earthquake damaged thousands of homes and important infrastructure. Blackouts were reported, meaning that all telecommunication on Lombok was down. Lombok was already a vulnerable island that lacked proper earthquake resistance infrastructure, leading to many critical buildings and bridges to collapse. Streets and roads were severely damaged and filled with debris. Following the earthquake, local residents, especially in North Lombok, setup makeshift camps to accommodate those displaced by the damage. However, these camps lacked adequate resources such as blankets and food for all of those seeking refuge. Lack of sanitation and fresh water continued to make these communities more vulnerable to diseases and infections.
International Medical Relief (IMR) has been called in to help survivors as medical demands continue to increase in an already-strained system. We will be responding to remote communities secluded in the North of the island. Many communities located nearer to the epicenter have experienced total devastation with very few structures left standing. These individuals are now exposed to the elements and even more susceptible to mosquito borne illness, skin infections and flu. As is common in these situations, the very young and the very old will suffer the most.
International Medical Relief was able to quickly respond to the Lombok earthquake disaster by sending a medical and dental mission trip in November of 2018. IMR clinics are composed of both our corps of international medical staff and local providers who partner shoulder-to-shoulder to help deliver sustainable healthcare elevating access to care for our patients. During this mission trip, a total of 19 volunteers and staff served over 350 patients. IMR provided much needed aid to the local health care system during the recovery period. IMR teams that included EMTs, nurses, doctors, dentists, and students who reached beyond borders in order to provide critical care to the most vulnerable communities impacted by the aftermath of this earthquake. During our urgent response to this disaster, IMR was able to provide a total aid value of $555,791. IMR was able to help in the efforts of rebuilding a health system so that individuals’ needs could be met.
Also, our first responders medical team also provided community health classes to further the patient’s knowledge and education on health matters related to their personal health needs. During IMR’s critical work, we also provided 20 health education classes including hygiene, solar water disinfection, oral hygiene, sanitation, grieving, and others. Over 3847 people participated in these education classes. These classes will help families and communities recover as they rebuild their lives.
International Medical Relief was privileged to participate in this enormous undertaking of caring for millions who were displaced. We continue to work with the most underserved and vulnerable populations in order to improve communities overall health and well-being. IMR continues to serve Indonesia and to keep building on our relationship with the local community in order to deliver more sustainable healthcare.
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Bring much-needed acute medical and dental care to a beautiful, culture-rich destination. You can join an IMR medical mission team today!
